Beginning
in 2003, VIA Rail began equipping the Montreal-HalifaxOcean train with Renaissance cars.
In 2004, there was still one trainset of older ex CP Budd built coaches on the route.
That trainset regularly left Halifax
on Wednesdays and Saturdays. It left Montreal
on Thursdays and Sundays.

In late
winter of 2006, VIA announced that in early May, the Ocean train would be all
Renaissance except during the summer when they would run an ex CP “Park” Dome
observation sleeper on the rear of the trains. The rest of the coaches would
used on other VIA trains like the Canadian. Upon hearing that, I began playing
with the idea of riding the Budd trainset before it was removed. I also decided
to fly down to Halifax because I
wanted to fly out of the new terminal at Toronto’s
PearsonInternationalAirport. I ended up going in the
first full week in April, as VIA had discounts on sleepers on the Ocean. My
plan was to fly down on a Tuesday, spend a night in a Hostel in Halifax,
then ride the Ocean to Montreal
where I would change to VIA train 57 to Toronto.

April 4, 2006:

I got up
shortly after 6:00 am. My plane was to
leave at 10:00, but of course, I had
to allow extra time to get to the airport, check in, and clear security. I
checked one bag when I got to the Airport. I explored the terminal a bit before
I headed through security. I got through the metal detectors with no problem.

After I
cleared security, I went into a bookstore for a minute. Upon leaving, I saw an
Air Canada Boeing 767 being pushed back. Closer examination revealed the plane
was 604-C-GAUN, which is nicknamed the “Gimli Glider”. The plane earned the
nickname on July 23, 1983
after it ran out of fuel in mid-air. However, the pilot happened to be an
experienced glider pilot and flew the powerless jet for 13 minutes and made an
emergency landing at the abandoned base at Gimli,
Manitoba. After, the plane was repaired and
returned to service.

The Gimli Glider, (the Air Canada jet with the dark tail), departs Pearson
International on another routine flight.

When I got to the gate where my
plane was to depart from, I saw another plane was just finishing embarking
passengers. Soon, it left. After awhile, the plane I was to fly pulled up to
the gate. This plane was an Air Canada Airbus A320. I took a picture of the
plane as it was being loaded with food.

I decided to walk around the area.
I saw once store called “Streetcar”. Another store had a picture of a PCC
streetcar on it. As I walked around, I saw an Air Canada
Airbus A340 being readied for a flight to Hong Kong.

Soon, I headed back to my gate. I
then saw the plane Air Canada
had painted to commemorate their 65th anniversary. I got a photo of
the plane as it taxied past.

Soon, it was time to board the
plane. I took my assigned window seat which happened to overlook the left wing.
I stowed my carry-on bag and put on my seat belt. While waiting to depart, I saw
that the plane was pretty empty. I later heard from one of the flight
attendants that there were about 50 passengers

Soon, the plane was pushed back. I
took one more photo of the plane commemorating Air Canada’s
65th anniversary. They showed a video detailing the safety features
of the plane as we began to taxi towards the runway. When we took off, I filmed
out the window as the plane began its take off roll and lifted off the ground
and climbed. As the plane made a 180 degree turn towards Halifax,
I could see GO Transit’s Willowbrook train yard and the VIA’s Toronto
Maintenance Centre on the ground.

The flight was mostly uneventful,
but we did hit a couple patches of turbulence. They weren’t severe, and I
fortunately didn’t have to make use of the air sickness bag! During the flight,
they showed the news on the plane’s movie screens. Soon, we landed in Halifax.
I filmed the landing until we taxied off the runway. We were soon parked at the
gate. I headed into the terminal where I took one last photo of my plane.

I then headed to the baggage
carousel to pick up my checked bag. Fortunately, Air Canada did not loose my
suitcase and it was one of the first to emerge. I then headed to catch a
shuttle bus to downtown Halifax which is about 35 miles away! The airport is in
the middle of nowhere!

I paid $12 for the shuttle bus
which dropped me off a few blocks away from my hotel. As I started to walk
there, I saw an articulated Classic which I got on and rode a couple stops to
the Halifax Backpackers Hostel. Once I checked in, I dropped my stuff off and
called home from a payphone. Next, I hopped on another Articulated Classic and
rode across the bay to Dartmouth. Upon arriving at a transit terminal, I saw
fishbowl bus #512 which I ran to. Once I got on the fishbowl, I snapped a
picture of the Articulated Classic I had just gotten off.

The fishbowl left the terminal and
began following the coastline. As we went along, I saw a railway yard with
three CN GP38’s which I photographed.

I got off the fishbowl near a
library and the Metro Transit ferry terminal. Once I got off, I took a couple
photos of the fishbowl.

After the bus pulled away, I went
inside and found an AC outlet to charge my digital camera’s batteries. After I
finished charging them, I decided to ask where the Atlantic Maritime Museum
was. As I walked to the ferry terminal, a homeless man asked me for money. I
told him no and he didn’t ask me any more. I thought, “At least homeless people
are smarter here than Tucson, Arizona!”
I was reminded of that one guy in Tucson
on my last trip who kept asking me for $10, even though I kept telling him no.

Upon getting to the terminal, I was
told to get to the museum I’d have to take the ferry back into Halifax.
Someone came along and pointed me in the right direction when the ferry docked.
Just before the ferry docked, I saw a tugboat that was made to look like
Theodore Tugboat from a kid’s show! A company in Halifax
offers harbor tours with the tug, which must be popular with families.

I found the AtlanticMaritimeMuseum
and began exploring. I found their Titanic exhibit on the second floor. They
also had an exhibit on the 1917 explosion that devastated Halifax
after the ammunition ship Mont Blanc caught fire after a
collision with another ship and blew up. While visiting, I photographed various
exhibits including a model of the Titanic.

While at the museum, I stopped in
the gift shop. There was a macaw nearby which began to squawk and get on my nerves.
I soon left the museum and started to walk around. I saw another articulated
Classic bus. Shortly after that, I saw fishbowl #512 again.

After 512 left, another bus pulled
up. I asked the driver how to get to the train station. He told me it was a few
blocks away, so I decided to walk. Upon getting to the train station, I saw the
Budd cars on the Ocean sitting there. I headed into the station where I
photographed GlacierPark,
the last car on the train. I then noticed train 14 arriving from Montreal
with Renaissance equipment and filmed the train pulling into the station.

When train 14 arrived, I saw that
it was being led by two F40PH-2s both in the Spiderman 2 advertising livery.
The first unit, #6408, was the same unit that led the Enterprise
when my friend Mark and I rode it in August of 2005. I then took a few photos
of the Renaissance equipped Ocean after it arrived into Halifax.

After that, I walked to the other
end of the station to photograph the rear of the Renaissance equipped Ocean and
the front of the Budd equipped Ocean. I did so near a Tim Horten’s donut store.
I also noticed that VIA F40PH-2 #6420 would be leading the Budd equipped Ocean
the next day. 6420 is significant because it is one of two F40’s to have been
modified with a third headlight. (The other is #6434).

After I took a couple of photos, I
started to feel hungry. I walked downtown and eventually found an East Side
Mario’s. When I paid my bill, my server gave me a roll of Gummysavers instead
of the traditional after dinner mint! After I left, I took a bus back to the
hostel. I stayed at the hostel for the rest of the night with the exception of
heading to a store to buy a bottle of Pepsi. I eventually called it a night.

April
5, 2006:

I got up at 8:00 am and had breakfast in the hostel’s café. After
breakfast, I packed my stuff and checked out of the hostel. I then walked to
the bus stop to catch a route 7 bus to the train station. While waiting for the
bus, one more articulated Classic bus drove past as I filmed it. One minute
later, my bus came and I got to the train station early. While waiting, I took
some photos of both the Budd equipped Ocean and Renaissance equipped Ocean.

After photographing the trains, I
charged the batteries on my digital camera and my diskman while waiting for the
train to board. Soon, I was allowed to board. I was in sleeping car #8202,
“Chateau Bienville”. I took some interior photos of my sleeper and the Park car
on the end of the train. My train’s consist was as follows: F40’s #6420 and
6412, Baggage car #8620, Hep1 coaches #8108 and 8107, Skyline #8512, Diner
Louise, sleepers “Chateau Bienville”, “Chateau Angerson”, “Chateau Cadillac”,
and “Chateau Closse”. Bringing up the rear was Dome-observation-sleeper “GlacierPark”. The baggage car was a former
R.P.O. that VIA had bought from the U.S.
and rebuilt as a baggage car. The rest of the coaches were all ex Canadian
Pacific.

While waiting for departure, I took
a few interior photos of my sleeping car and the Park car.

The Ocean left on time. As we left,
I filmed the Renaissance equipped Ocean on the track next to us. I went up into
the dome. Soon, it was time for lunch. There wasn’t much choice on the menu,
(only two different items!) Also, meals weren’t including in the ticket price
of the sleeper. I paid $12.00 for my lunch as we rolled past a CN freight yard.
Before I left the diner, I took a couple interior photos of the car.

We soon stopped in Truro, Nova
Scotia. When we left, I filmed the murals on the station wall and photographed
the train at it took a curve to the left.

Soon, we went by a CN train yard.
In the yard, I saw what I believe to be a local freight. That freight was
pretty short; it had a locomotive, a covered hopper, and a caboose!
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a photo of that train. Later, it started to rain,
but the rain soon let up. The train crew began to take dinner reservations. I
chose to have dinner at the second seating at 6:30 pm.

We soon arrived into Moncton, New
Brunswick. This was a smoking stop. I used the time to photograph the front of
the train and get a can of Pepsi from a vending machine in the station before I
got back on the train.

As we left Moncton, I photographed
a bus in the distance. I spent the time going between my room and the Park car.
Soon, it was time for dinner where I paid $18.00 for a chicken dinner. While in
the diner I took a video of tank cars that are on CN’s “Tank train”. These tank
cars have pipes that connect the cars together for faster loading and unloading.
I then headed back to the Park car as the sun went down. Downstairs, they were
showing the movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”.

Upstairs in the dome, it was foggy
and I could barely see the dome of the Skyline car six cars ahead. The fog soon
lifted. We soon arrived in Campbellton, New Brunswick. This was another smoking
stop. I used the time to take some more photos of the train.

After taking some photos, I headed
back for the train. I got a little scare as the sleeping car attendant raised
the stairs. I shouted for him to wait and he put the stairs down. Once I got
back on the train, he told me he usually put the stairs up and that the train
wasn’t about to leave.

After that, I went into the Skyline
car and took an interior photo of it. I didn’t stay too long though and headed
back to the sleepers and Park car.

The train soon departed from
Campbellton. After we left, we crossed back into the province of Quebec and the
Eastern Time zone. The train bypassed Matapedia station. On certain days, the Ocean
runs combined with VIA’s Chaleur train which runs between Montreal and Gaspe.
The two trains split in Matapedia. However, while the Ocean runs 6 days a week,
the Chaleur runs only three. Today was not a day that the Chaleur was going to
Montreal.

I asked the sleeping car attendant
for a wake up call at 6:30 am before I made up my bed and called it a night.

April 6, 2006:

I woke up at 6:52 am, realizing I
didn’t get my requested wake up call. I first headed to the Park car for a
minute, then to the diner for breakfast. VIA train #20 heading for Quebec City
passed us. I had been hoping to get a video of that train, but I wasn’t
able.I arrived at the diner and had the
continental breakfast. After breakfast, I headed back to my room to pack up for
when we would arrive in Montreal. Soon, we passed a yard with an AMT commuter
train consisting of two ex Amtrak F40s and some ex GO Transit single level
coaches.

We soon arrived at Saint-Lambert.
After a quick stop, we were approaching the bridge over the St. Lawrence River.
As we got to the bridge, we were passed by a CN freight with three locomotives,
one of which being a former Conrail loco that was being leased by CN.

Once over the bridge, I filmed
VIA’s Montreal Maintenance Centre, which is VIA’s major shop. Unfortunately, it
wasn’t right beside the main line, but I did make out the equipment on Amtrak’s
Adirondack which would be departing for New York later.

As we approached the station, I
photographed various buses run by RTL, a suburban bus company in Montreal.
Train 15 soon arrived at the station 16 minutes early! Upon arriving, I took a
couple more photos of the Ocean before I headed up into the main concourse.

Once I got to the main concourse, I
found a payphone and called home. After, I bought a bottle of Coke from a
variety store in the station. I didn’t have much time to explore. I ended up
spending a lot of time at an Operation Lifesaver exhibit.

Soon, I headed to wait at the gate
where train 57 was to depart. A VIA employee asked to see my ticket. At first,
I couldn’t find it, but soon, I located it in my suitcase. We were soon allowed
to board. I was hoping that there would be Hep1 coaches in the consist, but the
train was all Hep2 except for the baggage car. Train 57 (and its counterpart
train 60) is the only Montreal-Toronto day train to offer checked baggage
service. I was seated in Hep2 coach #4106. The coach filled up, but I was able
to get a window seat.

The train left on time and I saw
VIA train 33 bound for Ottawa as well as Amtrak’s Adirondack. One thing I noted
about train 33’s consist was that while its economy coaches were LRC cars, the
VIA 1 car was a Hep2 coach! I found that ironic because VIA 1 class Hep2
coaches are often sent out west to be used on VIA’s Skeena train, and to fill
the voids, VIA 1 class LRC cars are used in Hep2 consists.

Several minutes after we left, I
saw an ex CP Rail Alco RS-18u in a yard. The unit was still in CP colours, but
was lettered for the shortline it now belonged to. The train stopped at Dorval
station.

Between Dorval and Cornwall, I felt
tired and decided to lie down across the two seats since there was no centre
armrest. I noticed how comfortable the seats were and thought about how these coaches
were once used on the Enterprise prior to being reequipped with Renaissance
cars.

Outside of Cornwall, we stopped to
let VIA train 52 stop at the station and pass us. I filmed the train as it
passed. We then stopped in Cornwall. While in the station, I saw an school type
bus painted maroon and lettered for Algoma Central. The bus had railway wheels
added so it could travel along both road and railway. I photographed that
bus.We were soon underway again. When
we got to Brockville, we ran past the platform then backed into the station.
This was to allow VIA train 56 to stop at the station. During this time, I went
into the last car that only had one person on board and photographed the
interior. At one point, I saw an old Alco road switcher, but I was unable to
photograph it. Train 57 stopped in Kingston for several minutes while a large
crowd boarded.

When we left, I saw a switcher
belonging to the shortline company Cando which owns two Shortline railways
outside of Toronto. Again, I was unable to photograph the unit.

Meanwhile, I was hungry and bought
lunch. The train stopped in Belleville. Between Belleville and Cobourg, we
passed the Memory Junction railway museum. Approaching Cobourg, the CP main
line parallels the CN line which we were on. I saw a CP freight with four empty
flatcars bringing up the rear behind some auto racks. The last car was rocking
quite a bit and I was a bit concerned. When we stopped at the station, the
freight kept on going. I filmed the end of the train as it went by.

The stop was a quick one and we
soon left. VIA train 60 passed us. Once again, I was unable to film it. We soon
passed underneath the CP line and eventually, I looked to the right to see that
CP freight as we passed it completely. Several miles away, I saw a couple
people who were pushing a baby carriage and seemed to be walking along the CP
line towards the oncoming freight. Presumably, they were able to get out of the
way in time to avoid being hit by the oncoming CP freight, (I hope!)

Soon, we stopped in Oshawa. After
we left, VIA train 64 passed. We also overtook a westbound GO Transit commuter
train. We made a quick stop in Guildwood. After we left, I filmed the TTC’s
Greenwood subway yard as we raced by. The train crew made an announcement that
people continuing onto Windsor on train 75 could stay aboard since train 57
becomes train 75 upon arriving in Toronto.

A few minutes later, we arrived
into Union station right on time. Upon disembarking from the train, I took two
photos of the train before I headed downstairs.

Once we got downstairs, other
passengers waited at the baggage carousel in order to retrieve their luggage.
Since I brought both my bags as carry on, I just called my dad before I got on
the subway to go home.

Conclusions:

Overall, this trip was very good.
The new airport terminal is very nice, and it was cool to see the Gimli Glider
and Air Canada’s 65 anniversary plane. This may be the only time I’ll fly this
year, as I will still take the train as much as possible. My decision to fly
one way had nothing to do with Amtrak’s eastbound Sunset Limited arriving 12
hours late into Tucson on my last trip. VIA’s Ocean was a nice train and the
Chateau sleepers were very comfortable. On May 4th, 2006, the last BuddEquippedOcean
departed Halifax, arriving the next
day in Montreal. Also, in December
of 2007, Air Canada
retired the Gimli Glider after 24 years of service.

It will be a shame with the Ocean
being all Renaissance except during the summer when VIA adds a Park car to the
rear for first class passengers. Dome cars make a train trip more interesting.
However, VIA does plan to temporarily bring a Budd Ocean trainset from November
to early spring of 2007 while VIA overhauls its Renaissance trainsets. I may
ride the Ocean again should that happen.

The biggest problems I experienced
were not getting my requested wake up call and missed a chance to film various
trains. Other then those problems, I had a good time. Both trains and the plane
were very good at timekeeping. Halifax was a nice city, but I’m not sure when
I’ll go back, or how I’ll get there. Chances are I’ll take the train, despite
the Ocean being fully equipped with Renaissance coaches. Until next time…